


The Song in the Mirror

by AnchoredTether



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Guardians of Childhood & Related Fandoms, Rise of the Guardians (2012), Snedronningen | The Snow Queen - Hans Christian Andersen
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Anna and Elsa are Siblings (Disney), Anna-centric, Character Death, Curses, Dark Fantasy, Dark Magic, Elemental Magic, F/M, Gen, Heavy Angst, I have a much more serious agenda in mind, Inspired by Frozen (Disney Movies), Kristanna will have their moments but it won't be the focus of the plot, Magic, Manipulation, Nightmares, Psychological Trauma, Rapunzel Elements, Snow Queen Elements, also Rapunzel is Anna and Elsa's cousin, and some incorporation of Guardians of Childhood, dark themes, she definitely ties into the story - you'll see later on, sorry but no Olaf or Trolls, with lots of Snow Queen and other fairy tale elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:15:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25872724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnchoredTether/pseuds/AnchoredTether
Summary: Ever since the mysterious death of their parents, Elsa has been acting incredibly strange despite her grief, and Anna is concerned about her sister leading Arendelle in her current state. Anna believes there is more behind their parents' deaths and as she uncovers terrifying secrets she realizes her entire life has been built upon lies.A curse has its roots deep into the very heart of Arendelle and Anna knows she and Elsa don't have much time left before the darkness destroys them too. Anna realizes she cannot save everyone and everything depends upon what she's willing to sacrifice.Will she allow the people of her kingdom to perish or forever lose the only family she has left?
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Kudos: 6





	The Song in the Mirror

Anna remembered the heaviness that found refuge within her heart when she heard the words from Mr. Andersen. She was working on a painting of the North Mountain in the fall, its crests and ridges aflame with bright oranges and reds from the changing leaves.  
  
"Anna, your mother and father... they didn't make the journey back."  
  
She held a paintbrush coated in crimson as those words fell solemnly upon her ears. Her hand began to tremble and her jaw slacked in horror. She stared at the North Mountain sitting placidly upon her canvas as the paintbrush slipped out of her shaking fingers. She turned around to see Mr. Andersen was serious on this matter, his expression fittingly grave.  
  
"How?" The words were so soft and pathetic it was as if she were six years old again, asking about why she was in so much pain. "How did they not make it?"  
  
Andersen was quiet for a moment before explaining the events of the blizzard, how her father was found frozen solid, but her mother was gone entirely. Anna was old enough that he didn't need to explain the likelihood that the Queen was dragged away and devoured by wolves. Anna made that assumption on her own. When he finished, she excused him so she could be left alone.  
  
Anna paced around her room staggeringly, her whole body trembling from the immense emotion of hollow loss. She leaned against the window and looked out the glass only to have the white scenery blur behind tears. She slowly slumped down to the ground, curling into the fetal position as she stared at the wall till her eyes burned and she could stare no more. She shut her eyes and the horrifying images came to her mind.  
  
All she could think of was the cold, lifeless glazed look in her father's frozen eyes.

When Anna awoke, the floor was cold, the sky was dark, and the fireplace was still, save for a few remaining embers that fought against the darkness. She slowly stood up, walked over towards her painting and stared at the long red line illuminated by the pale moonlight that fell to the bottom of the canvas, all the way down to the paintbrush lying on the floor.  
  
Anna looked back at the dying fire with an anger in her cool eyes, then back at the painting. Hot, furious tears remade an appearance as she stormed over to the fireplace, poked the logs with a prod, fanned the flames, and got the embers roaring to life again. She yelled as she worked, chucking more logs into the hearth. When the fire was just right, she whipped her head towards the painting, her hair falling out of her bun, then grasped the canvas and cast it into the inferno.  
  
As the paint melted and the canvas darkened and peeled, she cried harder, falling to her knees and shoving her wet face into her hands. A palace worker knocked on the door to ask if she needed anything, to which she yelled a bit too harshly to go away.  
  
Anna desired nothing more than to be left in solitude.

* * *

Anna couldn't bear it.

She stared at the ebony coffins for a long time after Elsa disappeared. She could see her reflection like a ghost in the surface of death. She wore a black dress with satin black gloves and her hair twisted elegantly into a braided bun. She felt too formal, too pristine. It felt wrong to look so perfect on the outside when she was a turbulent void of emotions within.

She was the only one left after the short ceremony of remembrance. It was mostly those in high ranking, those who were actually close to the King and Queen of Arendelle. Tomorrow there would be a proper ceremony for the kingdom to witness as they were buried into their graves, but this was a small gathering to allow the princesses to properly grieve without worrying about appearances. 

Lifelessly, her hands glided across the surface of her mother's coffin and unlatched the clasps on the side. She lifted the lid casually as if it were nothing more than just another door to open. She stared at the emptiness where her mother's body should have slept. She wanted to see her closed eyes and relaxed, cold figure holding orchids, but nothing was there. The hollow coffin mocked her misery in a way that caused her heart to churn.

The lid slammed with a resounding smack that echoed through the empty halls with great vigor.

Anna turned to face her father's coffin and violently unlocked the latches and thrust the lid open, only to gasp in horror as she leapt back, pressing her body against her mother's coffin in fear. She was expecting both her parents to have empty coffins. She was told the guards found her parents' carriage broken down, traces of blood in the snow but no bodies were found. After several searches, they informed Anna her father was frozen and her mother was presumed dead. 

This coffin had a body.

Slowly moving towards the nightmare before her, Anna gingerly placed a hand upon her father's. He was frozen solid, his left arm slightly raised, his fingers reaching for something. His eyes were plastered wide in terror, his mouth slackened, ready to release a scream. His body was rigid, encased in a thin layer of ice. He didn't die slowly from the elements - this was some attack that froze him within seconds.

It was all very sobering. It wasn't just some story the guards told her, or some cover-up for a far more gruesome way her parents could have died. He was frozen. And in his last moments before dying he was horrified. Even though they found her father's body, what had happened to her mother's? Anna wasn't sure which was more disturbing. She couldn't slam this coffin lid, despite how much she wanted to. Exhaling slowly, she closed it gently and latched both coffins closed, turning her back on them. Tears came to her eyes in fear, and suddenly Anna was unsure whether she desperately desired to know what exactly happened to her parents, or whether she never wanted to find out.

She knew from experience that some doors were better left closed.

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically a Frozen rewrite idea that's been stewing around in my head ever since the first movie's release. When the sequel came out it used a lot of elements from the idea I had so I've finally felt the inspiration to work on it. I've altered my outline a bit to incorporate some elements (hurrhurr) from Frozen 2 as well as some of the characters. 
> 
> This is loosely based on Frozen but heavily drawn from The Snow Queen and a little bit from the Guardians of Childhood. It's basically a darker version of Frozen surrounding a curse, and I hope you guys love it as much as I do. 
> 
> Comments are always super appreciated <3 they are logs to the fire~


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